The Experience of Support Groups for Caregivers of Persons With Mental Illness in Jamaica

Abstract

This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to study the lived experience of persons who participate in support groups for caregivers of persons with severe mental illness in Jamaica, West Indies. The findings of the study uncovered that caregiving is a frustrating responsibility with considerable financial burden, but support groups are helpful sites for learning of important information, and they create communities of support and encouragement that boost confidence in caring for others and oneself.